Verizon users can stop email-to-text communications by texting "OFF" to 4040, which the carrier claims are more than 80% spam.
Verizon announced Tuesday that consumers can now block spam text messages from email accounts with a single text message. Verizon users can stop email-to-text communications by texting "OFF" to 4040, which the carrier claims are more than 80% spam. This streamlines Verizon's previous approach for turning off email-to-text messaging.
Text spam has been a chronic problem in the United States in recent years. The Federal Communications Commission issued a warning last summer that robotext frauds were on the upswing. According to the agency, the number of complaints about unwelcome messages grew from 5,700 in 2019 to 14,000 in 2020 and 15,300 in 2021.
The FCC has prohibited the use of an autodialer to deliver text messages to mobile phones without consent or in an emergency. The commission issued its initial guidelines on scam texting earlier this year, mandating cell service providers to reject particular robotexts "that are highly likely to be illegal," according to a news statement at the time.
Because Verizon's filter is so comprehensive, some consumers may be hesitant to disable email-to-text and risk losing communications from friends and family. Users who change their minds about opting out can re-enable email-to-text communications by texting "ON" to 4040.
